I carry assisted Kershaw and SOG pocketknives and a sunlite red eagle. I'd carry a tektite, but they are a little large for my pocket. The Tektite is 750 lumens, which is as bright as the second coming of chrrist.

Since I am my father's daughter, I learned to always carry a pocket knife with me. However, since it takes another knife or a fingernail file to open my current Swiss Army knife, it's of more danger to myself than anyone else.

Hey, helpful gents, serious question because I don't know: Can a person legally walk in public wearing a non-concealed handgun in a holster ? Just wondering, I'm leavin' y'all alone either way. Thanks in advance.

Not sure what you mean, 52, but I prefer to know who is packing. I know I will be scolded for being a pinko commie liberal wacky extreme leftist (insert other appropriate names), but I have as much of an aversion to guns as some people love them (could be because, at the age of nine, I was forced to kill a bunch of innocent and unarmed tin cans).

By the way, a bit of a note, People are constantly surprised to find out that I'm a "gun guy." Remember, it's always the loudest in a group that give the group their image. In reality, there is a quiet majority of gun owners (and concealed carriers) who are normal sane people.

It is legal in Kansas to publicly carry a holstered handgun without a Concealed Permit. You still have to obey the "No Guns"' posted signs. You can also plan on getting hasseled by the local law enforcement people though.

Open carry is legal in Kansas, and I've done it a few times myself, be prepared for a lot of looks. Though I don't think I would ever do it, last time I looked, the "no guns" signs only pertained to concealed carry, not actually open carry. So (not a lawyer, just how I read it), you could legally carry into an establishment with a no guns signs (not counting state and federal property). What would likely happen is an employee or owner would show you the sign and ask you to leave, if you didn't then you would trespassing.

Some municipalities have chosen to regulate open carry in some way. In Lawrence, you cannot unreasonably stop within 200ft of a bar. So you could walk down mass street, but shouldn't stop to hang out outside a bar.

My thoughts on your question:
Self-preservation/protection is one of the most basic natural instincts and a basic human right.
I personally extend this to include protecting those that I care about.
The police have no duty to protect an individual and generally end up being “uniformed historians”, writing down the story about how an individual was harmed while waiting for 911 to send help.
I prefer to use the best tools available to perform any job.
Firearms, in the hands of someone who knows how to use them properly, are arguably the best tool available to me in order to protect myself and my family.
I have training in the use of firearms and I practice frequently to maintain my skills.

Please do not project your “scared and insecure” feelings on those of us who make responsible decisions to arm ourselves.

thuja - Out in western Kansas we have a saying, "Little man, big gun."

And dammit, my younger brother was speeding in Aurora, Colorado with me and another guy in the pickup, which was all full of empty beer cans.

So, he got pulled over, and one of the questions the officer asked was, "Are there any weapons in the car?"

"Yes," was the answer from the other passenger, who is not a tall man at all.

The officer's next question was, "What is it?"

"A 358 Magnum."

One more question from the officer: "Is it loaded?"

"Yes."

We were all informed that it is illegal to travel in a vehicle in Aurora, Colorado with a loaded weapon in the car, and so the 358 Magnum was very gingerly confiscated, and backup was called. When the backup officer arrived, it was a very attractive but nervous woman police officer.

The three of us were all there with our hands on the pickup while the first officer dug through all the empty beer cans looking for more weapons, and we all were carefully frisked.

Open carry is not prohibited under Kansas state law. Some cities have ordinances prohibiting open carry (Wichita comes to mind), but concealed-carry license holders are exempt from those ordinances per state law. Topeka repealed its ordinance prohibiting open carry a couple of years ago.

I think operator assisted knives are good, as long as the button is on the blade and you have to exert some effort no matter how minimal. They'll get my spring assisted Gerber when they pry it from my cold dead hands.

Specifically there is some weirdness in the law related to fixed blade knives. I can clearly, legally carry a 4" assisted opener but it's not clear that a 1" fixed blade concealed in my pocket is legal.

I'm aware of HB 2584 that Chad referenced in another article that would decriminalize certain knives and it appears take away the 4in restriction on a pocket knife, but I don't remember seeing anything about putting them under the Personal and Family Protection Act.

What I would imagine the idea is, is basically changing the bill from a CCH (Concealed Carry Handgun) to a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) and allow licensed persons to carry larger self-defense knives like daggers, etc. I can't imagine anything going through that would tighten knife laws. IIRC if 2584 passes, you wouldn't need a license to carry a concealed knife of any size.

Depends on what kind of knife. If you are talking about a pocket knife with all the helpful extra attachments, no. If you are talking about switchblades or those knifes that pop out at the touch of a button, what is the point of those other than to do bodily harm?

My go to knife is a Cold Steel Master Hunter in a custom made "Lefty" leather holster. Of the thirty or so knives in my collection I have used this one more than all the others. Although it is primarily a hunting knife it has been used as a camp knife and even served as a kitchen utensil. The rubberized grip remains easy to control, even when my hands and arms are covered in blood while field dressing the dozen or so deer I have used it on. This knife was sharpened to a razor edge when purchased new and remains sharp with only minor stoning to this day.

I had a serious discussion with a woman friend a few days ago. A few weeks ago her home was broken into and she does not feel safe anymore. So, she was considering purchasing a firearm. She discussed it with the man at the gun shop, and also with an ex-Marine who had served in Vietnam.

The man at the gun shop had quite a different view than the ex-Marine. For the man at the gun shop it seemed to be an abstract concept, but for the ex-Marine it is a reality that he deals with every day because he never feels safe at home, especially at night. That is a problem that many former members of the military have to deal with every day.

Of course, the man at the gun shop advised her to buy a gun, and he could teach her how to use it.

The ex-Marine told her that the man at the gun shop was full of it. Sure, he has guns, but he never intends to use them against intruders, because a mistake might be made, there won't be time, they won't be handy, and they require some space to be used effectively.

Instead, he keeps knives hidden in various locations throughout his home, and he knows exactly where every one of them is at all times.

So, if an intruder grabs one hand, he can reach over with the other, and with a double bladed knife, stick it in and cut back and forth. And, he told her that if she ever does that, she will sure have a mess to clean up later.